JAMB Cut Off Marks: A Race To The Bottom- Onyekpere

Mr. Eze Onyekpere Said beyond the issue of “two thousand naira” for aptitude test, something more fundamental needs to be talked about.

Speaking as a guest on “Today on STV”, the Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice said there is no sense in one writing Jamb and also go back to the University for aptitude test.

He said it is either Jamb is stopped and universities are allowed to conduct exams or one is done, and the other is left aside.

He stated that the challenge the academic sector is facing is that it produces university graduates that cannot even write a simple correct sentence; emphasizing that the pass mark for jamb should be two hundred (200).

He said also, that our universities have produced people that cannot be employed; if they are employed, they will contribute nothing to society, government parastatal, or company.

He said further that Nigerians should take a deep pause and ask what exactly they want to achieve, and once it is designed, criteria and standard should be set and make sure it is stuck by; rather than letting it be free for all.

He said the situation is not about establishing new universities but about proper funding of the existing ones and everyone must not go through the university.

He revealed that just five to six percent of the budget which is not fully released is dedicated to education and the one that is released is not fully utilized.

He expressed his displeasure about how Nigerian universities mismanage their resources and engage themselves in white elephant project, building big gates and procurement of equipment that add no value to the system.

He said government is not ready to chart the way forward since the sons and daughters of key government officials that have no stake in the system are enrolled in schools abroad.

He concluded with a suggestion and solution that Nigerians should sit down and say the truth to themselves, so that people will stop deceiving others in the name of political campaign, only then our educational system will improve.